Is this Cherington’s last chance to help save the offense?
It shouldn’t be a surprise that Ben Cherington is looking to add to the roster with many question marks offensively as the offseason winds down, with pitchers and catchers reporting to Bradenton this week. But with how disappointing this offseason has been, it is too many.
According to Dejan Kovacevic of DK Pittsburgh Sports, multiple sources in Bradenton told him that the Pirates are not done yet. What this ‘main move’ may indicate is unknown, but it will likely involve trying to significantly improve the offense through trade and sending young starting pitching in return.
For now, we can only guess. What trade scenarios are possible and most attractive for the Pirates? Let’s first look at what they should be aiming for in the trade market.
With Spencer Horwitz being out, it may be wise to get another legitimate first baseman to fill the role and split time with Horwitz when he returns. Despite a strong rookie campaign, Horwitz still has much to prove to show he can be an everyday player, and he hasn’t done well against left-handed pitching. It’s also hard to say that when dealing with wrist surgery, who knows when he’ll truly feel like himself again at the plate?
Tommy Pham should be a fourth outfielder, and with Reynolds apparently moving to right field and probably getting some time at first base (especially with no Horwitz for a while), they should be looking for a starting left fielder who can hit and play strong defense. Tommy Pham is statistically better defensively in left field, but those numbers are primarily based on his younger playing days. Jack Suwinski and Josh Palacios have had their moments at the plate but aren’t cutting it.
Given how this front office has conducted business, it’s challenging to know what the Pirates consider a significant addition(s) and to what position. However, it’s certainly easier to identify what they should or shouldn’t give up, assuming they bring a noteworthy addition(s) to the lineup.
It probably isn’t wise to trade Jared Jones or Mitch Keller, a prominent part of the core of their rotation. They may be confident that Bubba Chandler will fill the void quickly, but it’s safe to assume they won’t bring him up until later in the season to save a year on his arbitration eligibility. Don’t sacrifice your most significant strength to fix your weakness!
However, Mitch Keller is a real possibility, considering the Pirates’ determination not to raise payroll considerably this offseason. Keller is signed for $15+ million annually for the next four seasons. Considering Keller’s consistent struggles in the second half of the season and his contract, which seemed like a PR move around this time last year, make him a strong candidate to be the central piece traded in this ‘main move’ that fans could be waiting on. It could be worth it if they want a bat that costs $10-$15 million and significantly improves the lineup or get a cheaper, younger contributor with one or two other prospects or major league players. Still, Keller’s value in a strong rotation isn’t something to be messed with.
The Pirates’ best course of action would be to make all of these quality young pitching prospects available, giving up two if you have to, with RHPs Braxton Ashcraft and Thomas Harrington and LHPs Hunter Barco and Anthony Solometo being the most notable in the organization, among others. These guys all have potential, but with Skenes, Jones, and possibly Chandler at the top for the foreseeable future, they don’t need all four, especially considering that Cherington had another heavy pitching draft last year.
Cherington has also collected a plethora of middle infielders, so it wouldn’t be a stretch to give up a top prospect like Termarr Johnson, who has potential but has underachieved thus far in 2023 second-round pick Mitch Jebb, or even a guy like Liover Peguero, who the Pirates were once high on, has not received playing time.
The Pirates must get this right no matter what they do. This horrific offseason must be saved in some capacity for this offense to be good enough to compete for the playoffs.